Oh Blessed Dishwasher

Have you heard the analogy of broken windows?

If you walk into a neighborhood and there is a broken window, everyone who passes that broken window is affected by it. It creates a mood and a feeling looking at something that is broken. Pretty soon, someone who was affected by the window now throws some trash on the street. The next person sees the trash and broken window and draws some graffiti on the wall. It goes on and on and keeps adding on and on.
The speaker on the radio whom was explaining this analogy to me then stated that we all have our broken windows that affect the rest of the day or how we feel about other things in our life.

"What is your broken window?" He urged us to make an effort to think about what it could be. He gave some examples: "Maybe it's the laundry, maybe it's the toys on the floor, or hastily running around without a plan for the day."

It didn't take me long to figure out what my "broken window" was.
Is.

The dishes.

We did not have a dishwasher in our basement apartment and sometimes I was able to keep up but guess what would happen?
The dirty dishes would sit there on the counter top in piles until I cleaned them. So I thought I would come up with a way not to stare at them. So I got some containers to put them in until I could wash them and put those under the sink. That worked for a day or so but then all of a sudden if I missed a day of dishes, the sink was full underneath and there were those dirty piles again!
It was the most frustrating thing and really was my broken window. I would look at those and it created a mood of chaos and having so much to do (even though mentally I knew it would only take 20-30 minutes to clean them). It still created this feeling inside me.

When we were looking for a place I just knew we had to have a dishwasher. We just had to. Well, we found a great, affordable, backyard included, nice apartment....but you got it: no dishwasher. I have been so determined somehow to make doing the dishes something that uplifts me: a few ideas included memorizing hymns, watching educational youtube videos, listening to music, having Grant help me with them (he loves standing on a chair and "helping").

Well, if I were to show you right now the piles of dirty dishes by my sink, you would be shocked. Seriously, I want to have a clean house, I really do- it's just those dishes eat at my soul. You don't have this same problem? Well, figure out what your "broken window" is and then imagine how you feel and are affected by it. Now you know what the dishes do to me. It is the most draining, awful thing I can ever imagine. And they never end. That's probably the worst part.

So, I told Jay we had to get a dishwasher. There are portable ones out there and we can look and see if any are in our price range. Uh, yah right! All of the ones we could see were so expensive and when you imagine a college kid, you know they are poor right? Well, we are a college family. Um, that pretty much means no funds for unnecessary purchases, even if it means fixing a broken window.

I just had to call and see if maybe we could get a cheaper one, even if it was far away. I called a few people who had sold their dishwashers and then I saw this ad for Provo. It said, "We don't care about the money, we just don't have room for it and don't need it."

I called and the young man explained that it was just him and his wife and they just never have enough dishes to fill it up. He said it worked and then he just randomly said, "You can just have it. If someone can come and get it, we'll just give it to you." I didn't barter, I didn't ask for a lower price- HE just said to take it.
Can you say "Tender mercies?"


My jaw dropped and I tried to stay calm but I was so happy. I don't think he will ever have any idea that he fixed my broken window and now I might be calmer and happier not having to look at a bunch of dirty dishes.

My kind brother and sister went and picked it up for me and it is sitting in my parent's garage right now. I cannot wait to get it up here! I have no idea how it's going to get up here, but it will make it. I'm sure somehow, it will find it's way.

In the meantime I feel a glimmer of hope that maybe I can keep up with the dishes and banish that feeling that I just can't keep up. I hope it fits in our kitchen. I hope it works. I hope it really does help my window. If not, at least it was free!!!! I'm ecstatic to try it out.

So now, I'm curious if everyone really does have that "broken window" in their life. That thing that brings negative feelings with it to you, even though it may seem like others aren't bothered by it. What is your "broken window" and how have you fixed it? Or what are you trying to do to fix it?